Faith formation doesn’t happen alone! We learn more together in community with one another and with God. We hope the following resources will help you on your faith journey through the ups and downs of life. If you are in need of pastoral care or would like to talk to our pastor, please email Pastor Courtney at pastorcourtneys@gmail.com.
Messiah has a ton of resources for children. If you are looking for coloring pages or activities from Illustrated Ministry, please reach out to the office and we are happy to share. Another good place to look for supplies and crafts is Oriental Trading!
Bibles!
Lutheran Study Bible (NRSV)
- This Study Bible provides notes and reflections to dive deeper into the Lutheran understanding of scripture and the lens our Lutheran understanding provides
- Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible (NIV)
- This Study Bible provides context to the culture and time that each of the Bible stories takes place in. This insider view can be really helpful to gaining understanding of what stories mean and how we can relate to them today.
- The Brick Bible
- This two part Bible series that provides lego images to accompany many of the stories in the Bible. It is not the complete story but is a helpful visual for an older audience.
Supplement Books and Resources for Faith Formation
Devotionals and Authors
- Kate Bowler: her writing is easily accessible and provides an entry for those looking to get in touch with spirituality but don’t know where to begin.
- Good Enough: 40ish devotions for a life of imperfection
- The Lives We Actually Have: 100 blessings for imperfect days
- Have a Beautiful Terrible Day: daily meditations for the ups, downs, and in-betweens
- Rachel Held Evans: her writing is down to earth and real as she shares her experience with faith in the Bible belt and breaking free to know and understand the God of love.
- Searching for Sunday: Leaving and Finding the Church
- A Year of Biblical Womanhood: How a Liberated Woman Found Herself Sitting on Her Roof, Covering Her Head, and Calling Her Husband ‘Master’
- This is one of Pastor Courtney’s favorite books that influenced her faith and lead to her journey to becoming a pastor
- Inspired: slaying giants, walking on water, and loving the Bible again
- Wholehearted Faith: This book is for the doubter and the dreamer, the seeker and the sojourner, those who long for a sense of spiritual wholeness as well as those who have been hurt by the Church but can’t seem to let go of the story of Jesus.
- Nadia Bolz Webber: as an ELCA pastor serving a congregation named “House for All Sinners and Saints,” NBW provides new and challenging insights into faith and religion and God’s expansive love and inclusion
- Accidental Saints: Finding God in all the Wrong People
- Pastrix: The cranky, beautiful faith of a sinner and saint
- Shameless: A case for not feeling bad abut feeling good
- Max Lucado
- Brian MacLaren
- We Make the Road By Walking: A Year-Long Quest for Spiritual Formation, Reorientation, and Activation
- Rob Bell
- What is the Bible: How an Ancient Library of Poems, Letters, and Stories Can Transform the Way You Think and Feel About Everything
Use the following resources to expand your knowledge and understanding of Black, African American, and Womanist theology and history. There is something for everyone accessible to all ages.